Drinking straw coated with vitamins

ABSTRACT

A device for use in drinking a beverage is a drinking straw having a tubular wall defining a passage bordered by an interior surface of the tubular wall. The straw has two ends that are both open. At least a portion of a surface of the tubular wall has a coating of only water soluble vitamins B-12 and C and any residue from water employed in the disposition of water soluble vitamins B-12 and C onto the surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drinking straw having a coating for delivering nutrition to a person drinking a beverage through the straw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is an ongoing interest in providing supplemental vitamins to persons in a convenient manner. Many persons have an aversion to taking tablets, capsules and other items of sometimes intimidating size that must be ingested with the aid of a liquid swallowed with such items. The introduction of supplemental nutrition or flavoring by adding a supplement to a beverage has been practiced for quite some time, and there have been many approaches to how the supplement may be introduced into a beverage. The present invention presents a new means for adding additional amounts of vitamins B-12 and C to a person's diet in a simple manner that is easy to swallow.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART

Efforts to use a drinking straw as a tool for adding a flavoring agent or other nutrient to a beverage sipped through the straw have been ongoing for many years. U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,203 published in 1931 discloses that a coating can be formed on a straw by using the syrup then used in soda fountains flavored with any suitable flavoring. The straw is filled with the solution and placed in an upright position so that the major part of the solution will drain therefrom but leave a coating on the internal wall of the straw. GB 512,831 published in 1939 discloses coating paper or a similar sheet material on one side with gelatin, sugar or some other soluble substance containing a desired flavoring, and the paper is then wound helically or otherwise without a mandrel into the form of a tube. The paper may be coated over its entire width or a portion of its width with the flavored solution on overlapping portions of the strip may be provided with an adhesive or gelatin or other vehicle in which the flavoring may itself form an adhesive.

Ideas other than coating a straw with a particular substance have been widely advocated. For example GB 812,661 discloses a drinking straw that has a flavor bearing strip that is attached to the inside of the straw by an adhesive. GB 865,615 discloses making a drinking tube of a molded flour containing substance that includes a sweetening and/or flavoring media, which results in the drinking tube being edible. WO 2004/000202 A1 discloses a drinking straw that is provided with a retaining device that is impermeable to an active substance formulation, vitamin formulation, and/or nutrient formulation while being permeable to air and a conveying liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,595 discloses a tubular drinking straw having at least a portion of an exposed wall formed of a water insoluble hydrophilic acrylate or methacrylate polymer. A water soluble flavoring agent is dispersed with the polymer and passes by way of the polymer to flavor a liquid in which the straw is placed.

GB 2 366 178 A discloses that a drinking straw may have flavor incorporated into the device during manufacture and may comprise one or more layers of a coating applied to a section or the whole internal surface of the device, preferably granular and/or having a bore for the liquid to pass through. An internal coating may be applied to a section of the device by injection or spray injection. Further enhancement may be introduced, e.g. vitamins, fluorides or others.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,252,803 discloses that a paper cup or other item associated with taking in food or beverage may be coated with a desired substance when a powdered substance is treated by thoroughly mixing it with an oil which is preferably a constituent of the substance, such as mixing instant coffee with coffee bean oil. While the oil of the substance is preferred, other edible oils can be used, such as corn oil. The surface to which the intermixed substances and oil is applied is first treated by coating it with a thin layer of the same oil with which the substance is intermixed.

US 2003/0168772 A1 discloses coating the interior of a straw during the process of extruding straws. The coating fluid may contain a flavoring agent, a coloring agent, a source of carbonation, any type of nutrient, any type of product additive, a preservative or any other type of fluid. The fluid may include a surfactant, an adhesive agent or a plasticizer. The fluid may be introduced to the interior of a straw during extrusion using an air conduit.

US 2004/0109932 A1 discloses an acid coated drinking straw. A food grade acid composition is heated and applied to a surface of a drinking straw. The food grade acid can comprise, for example, citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid or a mixture thereof.

US 2007/0051741 A1 discloses coating a drinking straw with an edible composition that is drunk through the straw. The edible composition comprises an adhering agent and a powdered ingredient coated to the interior of the straw. Suitable adhering agents include lipids, medium chain triglycerides, emulsifiers and mixtures thereof. The powdered ingredient adheres or sticks to, and is incorporated into, the adhering agent layer.

US 2011/0143005 A1 discloses a two step process for coating a drinking straw including applying and adhering agent then applying a powder on the adhering agent.

WO 99/09871 discloses a straw having a flavor coating on its outer surface. A meltable carrier adhesive is used for producing the straw such as valerolactic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, corn syrup, hydrogenated starch and so forth. The meltable carrier has a melting point of about seventy to about ninety eight degree Fahrenheit. The powdery granular flavor agent is a solid having a particle size of about ten to twenty microns and is selected from such items as fruit, nuts, coffee, chocolate, and so forth. The straw may be a drinking straw/sipping stirrer.

WO 2007/030123 A2 discloses a drinking straw coated with an edible composition comprising an adhering agent and a powdered ingredient. Suitable adhering agents include lipids, medium chain triglycerides, emulsifiers and mixtures thereof. Suitable powdered ingredients include edible acids, vitamins, minerals, and so forth. The adhering agent is applied to the interior of a straw followed by incorporation of the powdered ingredient into the adhering agent layer. The powered ingredient adheres or sticks to and is incorporated into the adhering agent layer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided in accordance with the present invention a device for adding at least one water soluble vitamin to a beverage. The device, such as a drinking straw, has a surface with at least a portion of the surface provided with a coating comprising at least one water soluble vitamin disposed on the surface by applying a solution consisting of water and the water soluble vitamin to the surface. That is to say, the coating consists only of one or more water soluble vitamins and residue from water employed in the disposition of the one or more water soluble vitamins onto the surface of the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation, not to scale, of a step in the manufacture of a drinking straw coated with vitamins according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation, not to scale, of a drinking straw coated with vitamins according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A vitamin is an organic compound required by a person as a vital nutrient in limited amounts. An organic compound, or a related set of compounds, is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by a person and must obtained from the diet. There are two types of vitamins which are classified by the materials in which they will dissolve. Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K) dissolve in fat before they are absorbed in the blood stream to carry out their functions. Excesses of these vitamins are stored in the liver. Because they are stored, they are not needed every day in the diet. By contrast, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are not stored; they are eliminated in urine. People need a continuous supply of water soluble vitamins their diets. The water-soluble vitamins are the B-complex group and vitamin C.

As used herein and in the claims the term “water soluble vitamin is understood to include both a water soluble vitamin by itself or a water soluble vitamin combined with one or more excipients to facilitate and enhance the handling of processing of the water soluble vitamin. As used herein and in the claims the term “excipient” is understood to refer to an inert or slightly active substance used in preparing water soluble vitamins as a vehicle or medium of administration for water soluble vitamins. For example a commercially available tablet or caplet of the types used in the experiments described below comprises a water soluble vitamin as the active ingredient with the active ingredient compounded with excipients to facilitate forming the tablet or caplet and maintaining it in a desired shape and size, or even coating the tablet or capsule to prevent contamination.

Two water soluble vitamins, B-12 and C, were chosen for use in the experiments that are described below. However, it is understood that any water soluble vitamin, or combination of water soluble vitamins, may be used in the practice of the present invention.

The vitamin C used as a starting material in the experiments described below was NATURE MADE®, Vitamin C, 500 mg caplets distributed by Nature Made Nutritional Products, Mission Hills, Calif. 91346-9606, USA. Per the label on the container the ingredients of the caplets are Ascorbic Acid, Cellulose Gel, Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Croscarmellose Sodium, Stearic Acid, Magnesium Stearate, and Silicon Dioxide. The ingredients other than the Ascorbic Acid are understood to be excipients. The label indicates that this product contains no artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, yeast, starch or gluten. Per the label each caplet provides 500 mg of Vitamin C.

The vitamin B-12 used as a starting material in the experiments described below was GNC, Vitamin B-12, 1000 mcg tablets distributed by General Nutrition Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222. Per the label on the container the vitamin B-12 is in the form of Cyanocobalamin, while other ingredients of the tablets (understood to be excipients) are Dicalcium Phosphate, Cellulose, and Whole Brown Rice Powder (Oryza Sativa). The label indicates that this product contains no sugar, starch, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, wheat, gluten, corn, soy or dairy, sodium or yeast. Per the label GNC Vitamin B-12 is marketed as “100% Vegetarian Tablets”. Per the label each tablet provides 1,000 mg of Vitamin B-12.

As used herein and in the claims “water” is understood to include not only pure H₂O, but also widely available H₂O in forms such as tap water distributed by governmental water systems or water from wells wherein the H₂O may include substances such as minerals. The water used in the experiments described below was simply tap water distributed by a government operated water distribution system in Tampa, Fla., U.S.A.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown a schematic representation, not to scale, of the spraying of an aqueous solution containing vitamins B-12 and C onto a surface of a drinking straw 10. As used herein and in the claims the term “solution” is understood to refer to a solid dissolved in a liquid. As used herein and in the claims the term “aqueous solution” is understood to have its ordinary meaning of a solution in which the solvent is water. In the small scale experiments that are disclosed herein the spraying operation was conducted using an airbrush 16. An airbrush is a tool that mixes a liquid with air and then sprays it out in a fine mist. In the experiments described below the airbrush used was a Badger model 480-1, made by the Badger Air-Brush Co., 9128 W. Belmont Avenue. Franklin Park, Ill. 60131, U.S.A. The mechanism 18 of an airbrush is provided with a reservoir 22 intended to contain a solution to be sprayed and the mechanism causes the solution to be mixed with air and then propelled through the longitudinally extending passage 24 of a spray nozzle 20. It is understood that the configuration of the components of the airbrush is not critical to the practice of the invention, for example the reservoir 22 may be located on top of the airbrush, on a side of the airbrush or inside a housing of the airbrush. A portion of a drinking straw 10, made of any suitable material such as a paper or a polymer, is shown in cross section in FIG. 1. The drinking straw has a tubular wall 12 that defines a longitudinally extending passage 14 surrounded by an interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw. The airbrush 16 causes the solution in the reservoir to be mixed with air and propelled from the nozzle as indicated by arrows 26 in FIG. 1.

Referring next to FIG. 2 there is shown a schematic representation, not to scale, of a cross section of a drinking straw 10 coated with vitamins 28 using the process illustrated in FIG. 1. The tubular wall 12 of the drinking straw defines a longitudinally extending passage 14 surrounded by an interior surface of the tubular wall, and the solution sprayed onto the interior surface of the wall of the drinking straw is represented by layer 28. It is understood that the tubular wall of a drinking straw used in the practice of the present invention may comprise any suitable material such as a polymer, or paper made of any suitable material including bamboo. It is understood that a drinking straw in accordance with the present invention may have the aqueous solution sprayed onto the entire interior surface of the wall of the drinking straw or onto only a portion of the interior surface of the wall of the drinking straw as shown in FIG. 2. The solution is allowed to dry, leaving the surface of the drinking straw coated with a composition comprising only at least one water soluble vitamin and residue from water employed in the disposition of the one or more water soluble vitamins onto the surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw. However, it is understood that a drinking straw in accordance with the present invention may have the aqueous solution may be applied to any exterior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.

A first approach to applying a coating containing water soluble vitamins to a surface of a drinking straw was to use sugar water as a solvent for the water soluble vitamins because a sweet taste could be added to the beverage consumed through the straw along with adding the water soluble vitamins to the beverage.

Experiment I

A solution was prepared with 50 ml of water and 1 teaspoon of sugar. (One teaspoon equals about 5 cc) The sugar used in experiments through V was common household granulated sugar. The solution was heated for 1 minute in microwave but was judged to have a viscosity too low to be satisfactory for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw. Viscosity is the amount of resistance to flow that a particular liquid has. In other words, viscosity is a measure of how thick or sticky a liquid is. The higher the viscosity of a liquid is, the harder the liquid is to pour.

Experiment II

A solution was prepared with 50 ml of water and 3 teaspoons of sugar. The solution was heated for 2 minutes in microwave but was judged to have a viscosity too low to be satisfactory for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw.

Experiment III

A solution was prepared with 50 ml of water and 5 teaspoons of sugar. The solution was heated for 3 minutes in microwave, and then allowed to cool down for 5 minutes. The solution had a higher viscosity than the solution of Experiment II but it was again judged to have a viscosity too low to be satisfactory for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw.

Experiment IV

A solution was prepared with 50 ml of water and 7 teaspoons of sugar. The solution was heated for 4 minutes in microwave, and then allowed to cool down for 5 minutes. The solution at first appeared to have a satisfactory viscosity, but after the solution sat for 20 minutes the sugar goes back to be hard sugar.

Experiment V

A solution was prepared according to Experiment IV with the exception that the solution was heated in a microwave for 5 minutes. The sugar changed color to a dark yellow and the solution had a viscosity that was judged to be too high.

A conclusion was reached based upon Experiments I through V that a solution of water and sugar was not satisfactory. It was decided to investigate using genuine maple syrup in place of granulated sugar.

Experiment VI

A solution was prepared with 50 ml of water and 1 teaspoon of genuine maple syrup. This type of solution was prepared several times, but it was observed that these two materials did not go into solution together.

Experiment VII

Genuine maple syrup that was not mixed with water appeared to have an acceptable viscosity for adhering well to a surface of a straw when sprayed into the straw. However, this is a very expensive material and would impart a distinct sweet maple flavor to a beverage ingested through the straw. Therefore the genuine maple syrup as a solvent for carrying water soluble vitamins for spraying a coating on a surface of a drinking straw was judged to be impractical.

A decision was made to try using just water as a solvent for carrying at least one water soluble vitamin for spraying a coating on a surface of a drinking straw.

Experiment VIII

A solution was prepared by grinding one 1,000 mcg tablet of the GNC vitamin B-12 product described above into a powder and dissolving it in 114 teaspoon of water. The resultant solution did not satisfactorily bond to an interior surface of a plastic drinking straw when the solution was sprayed onto the surface of the drinking straw.

Experiment IX

A solution was prepared by grinding one 1,000 mcg tablet of the GNC vitamin B-12 product described above into a powder and dissolving it in ½ teaspoon of water. The vitamin B-12 product did not appear to mix well in the water.

Experiment X

A solution was prepared by grinding one 500 mg caplet of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder and dissolving it in ¼ teaspoon of water. While the vitamin C product appeared to dissolve easily in the water the viscosity of the solution was judged to have a viscosity too low to be satisfactory for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw.

Experiment XI

A solution was prepared by grinding a plurality of 500 mg caplets of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder, then dissolving two ¼ teaspoon scoops of the resultant powder in ¼ teaspoon water. {A later check showed that grinding about 1½ of the caplets into a powder will produce ¼ teaspoon of powder. A volume of 0.25 teaspoon is equal to about 1.23 cubic centimeters.) The solution was judged to have a viscosity too low to be satisfactory for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw.

Experiment XII

A solution was prepared by grinding a plurality of 500 mg caplets of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder, then dissolving five ¼ teaspoon scoops of the resultant powder in ¼ teaspoon water. The solution was judged to have a satisfactory viscosity for spraying on a straw because the solution would run rather than adhering to the straw. This experiment supports a product having a water soluble vitamin sprayed onto a surface of a straw to form a coating comprising only the water soluble vitamin and residue from water employed in the disposition of the water soluble vitamins onto a surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.

Experiment XIII

A solution was prepared by grinding a plurality of 1,000 mcg tablets of the GNC vitamin B-12 product described above into a powder; grinding a plurality of 500 mg caplets of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder; then dissolving ¼ teaspoon of the Vitamin B-12 powder and ¼ teaspoon of Vitamin C powder in ¼ teaspoon of water. This solution appeared to have a very satisfactory viscosity and worked well for binding the water soluble vitamins to an interior surface of a plastic drinking straw.

Experiment XIV

A solution was prepared by grinding a plurality of 1,000 mcg tablets of the GNC vitamin B-12 product described above into a powder; grinding a plurality of 500 mg caplets of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder; then dissolving ¼ teaspoon and 1/16 teaspoon of the Vitamin B-12 powder and ¼ teaspoon and 1/16 teaspoon of Vitamin C powder in ¼ teaspoon of water. This solution appeared to not have too high of viscosity and did not work well for binding the water soluble vitamins to an interior surface of a plastic drinking straw.

Experiment XV

A solution was prepared by grinding a plurality of 1,000 mcg tablets of the GNC vitamin B-12 product described above into a powder; grinding a plurality of 500 mg caplets of the Nature Made® vitamin C product described above into a powder; then dissolving ¼ teaspoon of the Vitamin B-12 powder and ¼ teaspoon of the Vitamin C powder in ¼ teaspoon and 1/16 teaspoon of water. This solution appeared to not have too low of viscosity and did not work well for binding the water soluble vitamins to an interior surface of a plastic drinking straw.

The foregoing experiments supports a product having more than one water soluble vitamin sprayed onto a surface of a straw to form a coating comprising only the water soluble vitamins and residue from water employed in the disposition of the water soluble vitamins onto a surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw. A preferred solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part vitamin C and about one part vitamin B-12 to the surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw. The term consists of as used herein and in the claims is understood to have its usual meaning of defining a limitation that no additional components other than those specified are a part of a solution or compound or coating.

It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for use in drinking a beverage comprising a drinking straw having a tubular wall defining a passage bordered by an interior surface of the tubular wall, the straw having two ends that are both open, at least a portion of a surface of the tubular wall having a coating consisting of only water soluble vitamins B-12 and C and any residue from water employed in the disposition of water soluble vitamins B-12 and C onto the surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 2. The device according to claim 1 wherein coating is creating by applying a solution that consists of by volume about one part water, about one part vitamin C and about one part vitamin B-12 to the surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 3. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 1 wherein the tubular wall of the drinking straw comprises a polymer and the coating is located on at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 4. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 1 wherein the tubular wall of the drinking straw comprises paper and the coating is located on at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 5. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 2 wherein the tubular wall of the drinking straw comprises a polymer and the coating is located on at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 6. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 2 wherein the tubular wall of the drinking straw comprises paper and the coating is located on at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 7. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 1 wherein the coating is located on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 8. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 2 wherein the coating is located on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 9. A device for use in drinking a beverage comprising a drinking straw having a tubular wall defining a passage bordered by an interior surface of the tubular wall, the straw having two ends that are both open, at least a portion of a surface of the tubular wall having a coating comprising at least one water soluble vitamin disposed on the surface by applying a solution consisting of water and the water soluble vitamin to the surface.
 10. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 9 wherein the coating comprises more than one water soluble vitamin.
 11. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 10 wherein the solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part of a first water soluble vitamin and about one part of a second water soluble vitamin.
 12. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 9 wherein the solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part vitamin C and about one part vitamin B-12.
 13. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 10 wherein the solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part vitamin C and about one part vitamin B-12.
 14. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 9 wherein the solution is applied to at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 15. The device for use in drinking a beverage according to claim 12 wherein the solution is applied to at least a portion of the interior surface of the tubular wall of the drinking straw.
 16. A device for adding at least one water soluble vitamin to a beverage, the device comprising an substrate having a surface with at least a portion of the surface provided with a coating comprising at least one water soluble vitamin disposed on the surface by applying a solution consisting of water and the water soluble vitamin to the surface.
 17. The A device according to claim 16 wherein the coating comprises more than one water soluble vitamin.
 18. The device according to claim 16 wherein the solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part of a first water soluble vitamin and about one part of a second water soluble vitamin.
 19. The device according to claim 16 wherein the solution consists of by volume about one part water, about one part vitamin C and about one part vitamin B-12. 